An inputting device selects one of plural menus displayed on a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, mounted to a dashboard of a vehicle interior with rolling or sliding of an actuator of the inputting device. An electronic apparatus, such as a car navigation system, an audio device, or an air-conditioner, is controlled according to the selected menu.
FIGS. 10 and 12 are a sectional view and an exploded perspective view of conventional inputting device 501, respectively. Holder 1A having a rectangular shape and surrounded by a wall is provided at the center of an inner bottom surface of case 1 having substantially a box shape and made of insulating resin. Case 1 opens at its upper surface. Frame 2 having a rectangular shape and made of insulating resin includes a supporting hole 2A having a rectangular shape at the center. Frame 2 is placed in the holder 1A provided at the inner bottom surface of case 1 such that frame 2 can move back and forth within holder 1A. Slider 3 has substantially a disk shape and is made of insulating resin. Wiring board 4 is fixed onto an upper surface of slider 3. Wiring board 4 includes plural conductive patterns on an upper surface and a lower surface thereof. A stopper 3A protruding from the lower surface of slider 3 is inserted into hole 2A to contact the bottom surface of case 1, such that stopper 3A can move to right and left in hole 2A. Slider 3 and wiring board 4 are accommodated in case 1 such that slider 3 and wiring board 4 can laterally move back and forth, and to the right and left in supporting hole 2A.
Rotation sensor 5, such as an encoder, and push switch 6 are mounted onto an upper surface of wiring board 4 by soldering. Plural lever switches 507 are mounted at ends of board 4 along four directions, front, back, right, and left directions, while levers 507A protrude outward. Cover 8 made of insulating resin covers the opening in the upper surface of case 1. A lower end of actuator 9 made of insulating resin is mounted into operation shaft 5A which has a hollow tubular shape. An upper end of actuator 9 protrudes upward from a hole provided in the center of cover 8.
Push button 10 made of insulating resin is mounted into a through-hole formed at the center of actuator 9 such that push button can move up and down in the through-hole. A lower end of push button 10 contacts an upper surface of operation shaft 6A of push switch 6, thus providing inputting device 501.
Inputting device 501 is mounted around a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, placed at the center of a dashboard of a vehicle interior. Rotation sensor 5, push switch 6, and lever switches 507 are coupled to an electronic circuit of a vehicle via connectors and lead wires.
An operation of inputting device 501 will be described below. FIG. 11 is a front view of display device 15 mounted in the vehicle. FIGS. 13 and 14 are sectional views of inputting device 501. While display device 15 displays image 15A of a map, actuator 9 of inputting device is manually slid in right direction 502A to move, in direction 502A, wiring board 4 having rotation sensor 5 mounted thereon and slider 3 fixed to wiring board 4. Then, lever 507A of lever switch 507 mounted on the right end of wiring board 4 contacts a right wall of case 1 for activating lever switch 507.
The activation of lever switch 507 provided at the right end of the wiring board 4 is detected by the electronic circuit of the vehicle, and then, allows the circuit to scroll image 15A displayed on display device 15, so that a right side portion of the map currently displayed is displayed. On the other hand, the sliding of actuator 9 in the left direction opposite to the right direction, in a back direction, or a front direction, moves wiring board 4 and slider 3 in the left direction, or the back direction, or the front direction, and activates lever switch 507 provided on the left end, or the back end, or the front end. The electronic circuit of the vehicle detects the movement of lever switches 507, and scrolls image 15A in, e.g. the left direction. After the sliding of actuator 9 in the left direction, a user having removed a hand from actuator 9, then actuator 9, wiring board 4, and slider 3 are restored to the neutral position shown in FIG. 10 due to a spring provided between holder 1A and frame 2 or between supporting hole 2A and stopper 3A.
The user pinches actuator 9 with fingers and rotates actuator 9 in direction 502B as shown in FIG. 10 to allow a lower end of actuator 9 to rotate operation shaft 5A, so that rotation sensor 5 generates a signal in response to the rotation of shaft 5A. The signal allows the electronic circuit of the vehicle to detect the rotation of shaft 5A, and enlarges and reduces image 15A, the map.
As shown in FIG. 14, push button 10 is pressed with a finger and a lower end of button 10 pushes operation shaft 6A to activate push switch 6. The electronic circuit then detects the activation of push switch 6, and switches the menu including plural options 15B displayed at the lower side of display device 15.
As discussed above, inputting device 501 has actuator 9 that can be slid and rotated, and has push button 10 that can be pressed, thereby performing various operations.
When the user slides actuator 9 of conventional inputting device 501, the user may rotate actuator 9. In this case, the map is scrolled, and simultaneously, is unintentionally enlarged or reduced. Particularly in the case that operation shaft 5A of rotation sensor 5 rotates with a small force, such an erroneous operation may occur.